Tiny oxygen bubbles are being touted by some as a potential game changer for irrigating pastures and helping cut farm water use.
Nanobubble Agritech has been researching the potential of nanobubbles on 11 farms over the last four years.
At around two-and-a-half thousand times smaller than a grain of salt, the smallest known bubble is invisible to the naked eye.
Their tiny size gives them special physical properties. Unlike other bubbles, they don't rise to the surface and burst but stay suspended in water, and can last for weeks or months, all the while slowly releasing oxygen into the water.
Company founder Leon Power told 1News the early results found nanobubbles had led to up to 30% more grass growth using 20% less water.
"I told my uncles who are dairy farmers what we're doing, and they said, 'It sounds like a lot of bulldust, Leon, so you better get some good data behind you'," he said.
"We were seeing the technology being adopted for hydroponic growers and thought if we can grow more strawberries or lettuces, can we take this to the dairy industry so large-scale, outdoor growing more big orchards?"
A senior lecturer in horticulture production at Massey University, Svetla Sofkova-Bobcheva, has helped with some research but said the evidence gathered to date was "very limited".
While more extensive research is needed to confirm the findings, nanobubble technology could offer promising benefits for horticulture and agriculture, she said.
Sofkova-Bobcheva said the combined effects — based on the theoretical concepts of enhanced oxygenation, improved water quality, increased nutrient availability, stress reduction, sustainability, and microbial activity — could lead to healthier plants, increased yields, and improved quality of produce.
"Our research at Massey Horticulture Unit in Palmerston North involved varying oxygen levels in irrigation water, from 15 to 40 mg O2/l, applied to various crops like apples, strawberries, and lettuces in different production systems, including orchards, pastures, and hydroponics.
"Our trials so far have shown that some hydroponic crops irrigated with oxygen-rich nanobubble water can experience faster growth rates, leading to earlier harvests and potentially higher yields. However, to substantiate these preliminary results, we need to conduct further extensive data collection and validate the underlying concepts."
She said there is currently a "limited understanding" of its long-term effects on perennial crops — including fruit and nut trees — and how different soil types, bacteria, and growing media interact with the bubbles.
Irrigation New Zealand principal technical advisor Stephen McNally said getting air and oxygen to plant roots is a basic horticultural plant science principle that is just as important as getting water to roots.
He said he cannot validate the results of the trials and cannot say if putting air or oxygen in irrigation water for soil is any better than ensuring the soil is well structured.
Massey University is looking to expand its collaborations with other users of the technology.
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